Pencil sharpener



Feb 15, 1955 c, FORS 2,702,022

PENC'IL SHARPENER V Filed Oct. 9, 1951 INVENTOR.

4 Kar/1.5123 2 Y &bdaw/@42g4 United States Patent O" '2,702,022 E CI SH PE E Carl I Fors,. Seattle, Wash. Application-Qctoberfi, 1951, Serial No. 250,414 5 Clairn s. ;(CL 120-96) This invention relates to pencil sharpeners.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient pencil sharpener' which will convexly round the wood on the tapered end portion offa pencil, longitudinally considered, so as to leave on such `tapered end portion more wood than isordinarily left on the tapered end portion of a pencil to provide morethan the usual amount of reinforcing and Strengthening of the lead and thereby reduce breakage of the,lead.

Anotherobject is to provide a pencil shapener in which the tip portion of a pencil sharpening blade is resilient nd is s or e y djusta le ea s nd m y a justed to vary the shape and length *of the 'lead po nt on the pencil and to provide, for instance, a short strong pencil point for heavy work or a longer thinner point for finer work.

Another object is to provide a pencil sharpener having a blade with a cutting edge shaped and positioned so that it will be applied to the tapered .end :portion of a pencil spirally` or atan .incline relative .to a radial plane of the pencil so that .rotary .movement of the blade relat ve to the pencil ,will make a slicing cut and thereby msure smoother sharpening `of .the .pencil with less danger of breaking the lead. l

"Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the ,drawingsz a ;Figure 1 isa perspective view ofaslmple type of pencil sharpener constructed in accordance with ;thls invent on.

Pig. 2 is a detached, partially'exploded, perspectlve view of a pencil sharpening element and adjusting screw used in this pencil sharpener.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing an adjustable resilient tip portion of the blade of this pencil sharpener applied to the point of a encil. p Fig. 4 is a sectional View, with parts in elevation, showing a crank operated wall or desk type pencil sharpener constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view, with parts broken away, and showing a pencil sharpener unit or assembly of the type used in the wall or desk type sharpener shown in Fi 4.

Fi. 6 is a fragmentary side view of a pencil having a short point made with this pencil sharpener.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of a pencil having a longer point made with this pencil sharpener.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of this pencil sharpener in which the blade is made separate from the member by which it is held.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

The exemplary form of this invention disclosed in Flgs. l to 5 comprises a one piece pencil sharpening member made up of a tapered receptacle 10 having a knife edge or blade portion 11 and having a flat flange 12 provided with holes 13 for the reception of screws 14 by which the sharpening member is secured to a holder 15.

The receptacle 10 is of generally conical shape but lS not a true cone because the side walls thereof are outwardly curved longitudinally considered and the knife or cutting edge of the same is similarly outwardly curved to leave more wood on the tapered end portion of a pencil. Also an opening is left between the knife edge 11 and ice '2 the 'flanged part 12 of thereceptacle 10 and-this opening extends from end to `end of `the sharpener member.

'The holder 15 -is grooved or recessed to a suitable shape to :snugly receive the pencil `sharpening member. The forward end of the pencilsharpening member 10, 11, 12 has a relatively na'rrowforwardly projecting or protruding resilient tip portion 16 whichis a part of -the cutting edge of the same. This tip portion 16 is adapted to be adjusted towardand away from the axis of the sharpening member to v ary the shape and length of the lead point formed on a pencil sharpened thereby, as hereinafter explained.

The -'holder *15 'has a forwardly protruding part 1'7 whichis positioned alongside of theresilient tip 16 of the cutter member and is spaced 'from said resilient tip ;16. A 'tip adjusting screw 18 is threaded through the forwardly protruding part 1:7 of1the holder and engages with the resilient blade tip 16 for the purpose ofadjusting said tip '16. 'Preferably an ofiset clip 19 is fixedly secured to the outer side of theresilient tip 16 and hasa slot 20 Which is open at one end. The end portion of the adjusting screw 1 8 adjacent the clip 19 is annularly grooved to provide a neck portion 21 which fits into the slot 20 of the clip l9-and to further provide a flat head 22 which engages with the 'inner side of the clip 19. The clip 19 is thus a .forked clip whichfits .into the annular groove in the adjustin'g screw and this makes it possible to positively adjust the resilient pencil pointing tip *16 either toward or away ,from .the axis of the sharpener member and any pencil which may bepositioned therein.

Figs. 6 and 7 show two .pencils 23 and 24 respectively which ,have been .sharpened -by a pencil sharpener of the type ust described. 'In both .of these pencils the wood on the .taperedor sharpened end portion 25 of the pencil is'convex, longitudinally considered. This convex shape results ,from .the longitudinal Convex curvature or' outwardly bowed shape.` of the .knife edge 11 and from .the similar outwardly bowed longitudinal curvature of the receptacle 10 which receives and affords room for the tapered .part 2 5 `of the pencil. Providing this longitudinally Convex curvature on -the tapered or sharpened end portion of the pencil leaves more wood around the lead to support the ;lead ;where it is subjected `to 'the greatest breaking' .st-rain and thus reduces the danger ,of ,breaking the lead.

If the resilient tip portion 16 of the blade part 15 is moved inwardly toward the axis of the sharpener member by adjustment of the screw 18 then application of the sharpener member to a pencil positioned coaxially therein will provide on the pencil a relatively short strong point 26, as on pencil 23 shown in Fig. 6. If said blade tip portion 16 is adjusted outwardly from the common axis of the sharpener and pencil by turning of screw 18 then a longer point 27 of the type shown in Fig. 7 will result. The tip 16, being resilient, will assume an externally convex longitudinal curvature when it is adjusted inwardly and the short stubby lead 26 provided by such adjustment will also have a longitudinally convex curvature which will help to make it strong and highly resistant to breaking. When this resilient blade tip portion 16 is adjusted outwardly it will tend to assume an externally concave longitudinal curvature and will provide a long thin lead 27, as shown in Fig. 7. Thus the flexing adjustment of the blade tip 16 is important in securing the type of lead desired on the pencil.

The cutting edge of the blade part 11 of the sharpener will be applied to both the wood and the lead of the tapered end portion of a pencil at an incline or spirally, as indicated by dash lines 28 in Figs. 6 and 7. Thus the line of cut made in sharpening is not in a radial plane of the pencil but is a slicing cut rather than a cut squarely across the grain of the wood. This is conducive to easier and smoother sharpening of the pencil and is less liable to result in breaking the lead.

The pencil sharpener shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is adapted to be held in the hand and used in a well known manner by inserting a pencil therein and relatively rotating the pencil and the sharpener.

Fig. 8 shows a form of this invention in which a blade 35 is made separate from a blade holding part 36 and .Ratented r h. ,15, 19,55,

g Figs. 4 and 5 show a wall or desk type pencll sharpener inwhich the parts to 22 inclusive are the same as those disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and in so far as they are shown these parts are similarly numbered. The additional parts shown in Fig. 4 and Pig. 5 include a shaft 30 rigidly attached to an end *portion of the holder and having a crank 31 secured thereto. At least a portion of the shaft 30 is positioned coaXially of the sharpener member 10, 11, 12 and is journaled in a relatively long bearing provided' by' an L-shapedfbracket 32. 'The bracket 32 may be mounted on any suitable support, such as' a wall or desk or table. A .shavings receptacle or housing 33 is 'detachably secured to the bracket 32 and is' provided with a tubular boss 34^through which a pencil may be inserted into the sharpener in well known manner. The boss 34 helps to guide and hold the pencil and the sharpener member is rotated around the pencil by turning the crank 31.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose what I now regard as a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: r

1. In a pencil sharpener, a blade having an integral resilient tip portion of substantially uniform thickness, and tip portion adjnsting means connected with said resilient tip portion providing flexing adjustment of said tip portion in directions at right angles to the plane thereof.

2. In a sharpener for sharpening a lead pencil, a blade having an integral resilient tip portion provided with a sharpening edge positioned to engage with the' lead of a pencil; and means adjustably supporting said resilient tip portion for fiexing movement toward and away from the lead tip of the pencil, whereby the shape and length of the lead point provided by the sharpener on the pencil may be varied.

3. In a pencil sharpener, a sharpening member of tubular convergent shape adapted to receive the end portion of a lead pencil; a blade carried by said sharpening member and having an integral resilient tip portion the blade and resilient tip portion having a continuous sharpening edge; a supporting member carrying said sharpening member; and an adjusting screw threaded in said supporting member and adjustably supporting said resilient tip portion of said blade.

4. In a pencil sharpenerfa tubular convergent sharpening member adapted to receive the end portion of a pencil; a blade carried by said sharpening member and having a resilient tip portion extending beyond the end of said sharpening member; auclipusecured to the resilient C. tip portion of said blade; a supporting member carrying said sharpening member and having a forwardly protruding portion extending alongside of said resilient blade tip in transversely spaced relation therefrom; and an adjustingscrew threaded'through the forwardly extending portion'f 'said supporting memberand engaged with said clip, whereby turning of said adjusting screw will adjust the flexible tip portion of said blade toward and away from the axis of said pencil sharpening member.

5. In a pencil sharpener, a tubular convergent member adapted to receive `the end oia pencil and having walls which are conveXly outwardly curved longitudinally considered; a blade supported by said tubular convergent member and extending continuously from end to end thereof, said blade having a Convex outward curvature longitudinally considered, whereby the exterior of the tapered end portionof a pencil sharpened thereby will be longitudinally convex and a substantial amount of wood will be left on the lead of the pencil throughout the entire length of the sharpened end portion of the wood of the pencil; an integral resilient pencil pointing blade tip on said blade, said blade and tip having a continuous sharpening edge; and adjustable means supporting said blade tip for transverse flexing adju'stment.

References Cited in the file of this patent I I UNITED STATES PATENTS 80,1 Coles et al. July 21, 1868 369,785 Gleason Sept. 13, 1887 832,446 Baines Oct. 2, 1906 889,135 Jones May 26, 1908 1,146,431, La Casse July 13, 1915 1,708,128 Friedezky Apr. 9, 1929 1,887,422 Oulton Nov. 8, 1932 V FOREIGN PATENTS b 79,304 Germany Jan. 24, 1895 461,925 Germany July 3, 1928 618,308 Germany Sept. 5, 1935 

